Quarterback Aaron Rodgers came up big again by leading Pittsburgh to a third straight victory in a 29-24 win at Detroit led by fellow former Cal signal caller Jared Goff to highlight performances by Pro Bears in Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season.
Rodgers was not the only former Cal player with a big moment or performance in Week 16 games that also included Craig Woodson recovering a fumble that Jaylinn Hawkins forced to set up a touchdown in New England’s 28-24 victory over Baltimore that kept the Patriots on top of the AFC East, as well as Cameron Jordan registering a career-high-tying 2.0 sacks in New Orleans’ 29-6 home win over the New York Jets.
Rodgers and the Steelers can wrap up both an AFC North title and secure a playoff berth with a win in either of their final two games in Week 17 at Cleveland or Week 18 at home against Baltimore. Rodgers is looking to join six other former Golden Bears who are on active rosters of teams that have already clinched playoff spots in Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers), Hawkins, Elijah Hicks (Chicago), Patrick Mekari (Jacksonville), Jake Tonges (San Francisco) and Woodson.
Jake Curhan (Carolina) and Chris Brooks (Green Bay) are both on active rosters of teams that are currently in playoff positions and control their own destiny but have yet to clinch, while Goff and Camryn Bynum (Indianapolis) are currently on squads just outside playoff spots that will need help to get in.
Cal also has a pair of players on injured reserve lists that are just on the outside looking in right now but still have a chance in Teddye Buchanan (Baltimore) and Daniel Scott (Indianapolis), as well as three coaches for teams that have already clinched in Matt Giordano (Chicago) and Davis Webb (Denver) or are looking to secure a spot in Byron Storer (Green Bay).
A total of 25 former Golden Bears are currently affiliated with NFL teams, including 18 on active rosters, two on injured reserve, one on a practice squad, and four members of coaching staffs. The latest updates on each of your fellow former Golden Bears are below. Click on each name to access the primary Pro Football Reference page for players and team bios for coaches.
ACTIVE ROSTERS (18)
Keenan Allen – WR, Los Angeles Chargers (11-4, No. 5 AFC, 2nd AFC West): Allen had five receptions for 44 yards in a 34-17 Week 16 road win at Dallas. He now has 73 receptions, 724 receiving yards and four scoring grabs in his 13th NFL season overall and 12th campaign with the Chargers during a 2025 season which has included becoming the fastest player in NFL history and the 16th overall to reach 1,000 or more career receptions during a Week 5 home loss to Washington, season highs of 11 receptions and 119 yards receiving along with one touchdown grab in a 38-24 Week 7 home loss to Indianapolis, becoming the all-time leader in receptions in Chargers’ franchise history during a 25-10 Week 10 home victory over Pittsburgh and recording 700 yards receiving for the 12th time in his career in the Week 16 win over Dallas.
Week 17 – Sat., Dec. 27, 1:30 pm – vs. Houston (10-5) – NFL Network
Bryan Anger – P, Dallas (6-8-1, No. 11 NFC, 2nd NFC East): Anger punted once for 42 yards (42.0 net) for the second straight game in a 34-17 Week 16 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Anger has punted 37 times (tied with two others for fewest of any punter who has played in all 15 games) for 1831 yards in 2025 to rank 11th in the NFL with a 48.2 yards per punt average, while he is 13th with a 42.4 net. Anger also has 14 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and forced 13 fair catches.
Week 17 – Thu., Dec. 25, 10 am – at Washington (4-11) –Netflix
Chris Brooks – RB, Green Bay (9-5-1, No. 7 NFC, 2nd NFC North): Brooks rushed one time for four yards and had one special teams tackle in a 22-16 Week 16 road loss at Chicago. He has contributed career highs of 12 receptions and 80 yards receiving, 14 rushes for 45 yards and a career-high 13 tackles in 2025, while playing in a career-high-tying all 15 games off the bench.
Week 17 – Sat., Dec. 27, 5 pm – vs. Baltimore (7-8) – Peacock
Camryn Bynum – S, Indianapolis (8-7, No. 8 AFC, 3rd AFC South): Bynum had seven tackles and an interception that he returned eight yards in a 48-27 Week 16 home loss to San Francisco on Monday Night Football. In his first 15 games of 2025 (all starts), Bynum has 72 tackles, a team-high four interceptions that are also tied for sixth in the NFL that he has returned 22 yards, 1.0 sack (-15 yards), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a team-high eight pass defenses.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – vs. Jacksonville (11-4) – FOX
Jake Curhan – OT, Carolina (8-7, No. 4 NFC, 1st NFC South): Curhan came off the bench and participated in five plays all on special teams in a crucial 23-20 Week 16 home win over Tampa Bay that moved the Panthers one game ahead of the Buccaneers at the top of the NFC South Division. Curhan’s 2025 highlight in 2025 came in a 31-28 Week 13 home victory over the Los Angeles Rams when he made his first start of the season and played in all 64 offensive snaps. Curhan has played in each of Carolina’s last 11 games with the one start after the Panthers claimed him from the Arizona practice squad. He made his Carolina debut in a 27-24 Week 5 home win over Miami. Curhan has played in a total of 12 games in 2025 including one for the Cardinals in a 16-15 Week 3 loss at San Francisco. Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – vs. Seattle (12-3) – CBS
Ashtyn Davis – S, Miami (6-9, No. 11 AFC, 3rd AFC East): Davis had two tackles and one tackle for loss while making his fifth consecutive start in a 45-21 Week 16 home loss to Cincinnati. Davis has 53 tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two pass defenses over 13 games played and a career-high-tying 10 starts in 2025. Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – vs. Tampa Bay (7-8) – FOX
Jared Goff – QB, Detroit (8-7, No. 8 NFC, 3rd NFC North): Goff completed 34-of-54 passes for 364 yards (all season highs) with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 101.2 rating in a wild 29-24 Week 16 home loss to Pittsburgh and fellow former Cal signal caller Aaron Rodgers. Goff seemed to get into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown on a bizarre final play when he completed a pass to Amon St. Brown just shy of the end zone before St. Brown pitched the ball backwards with Goff picking it up and crossing the end zone but officials called offensive pass interference on St. Brown on the play to nullify the score. With the loss, the Lions fell out of the contention for the NFC North Division title and remained one and a half games behind Green Bay (9-5-1) for the final NFC Wild Card berth. Goff is second in the NFL in rating (109.4) and touchdown passes (32), third in passing yards (4036), fourth in completion percentage (68.6%) and eighth in attempts (453) over his first 15 games (all starts) in 2025. Goff’s 2025 season has included an NFC Offensive Player of the Week performance in a 52-21 Week 2 home win over Chicago when he was 23-of-28 for 334 yards with five touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 156.0 rating, with his five touchdown passes equaling a career high and his third-best ever rating in a game. Week 17 – Thu., Dec. 25, 1:30 pm – at Minnesota (7-8) – Netflix
Cameron Goode – LB, Miami (6-9, No. 11 AFC, 3rd AFC East): Goode recorded a career-high-tying four tackles with three on defense and one on special teams in a 45-21 Week 16 home loss to Cincinnati, while playing in a career-high 44 plays (season-high 17 defense, career-high-tying and game-high-tying 27 special teams). Goode has played in all 15 games of the 2025 season off the bench and contributed a career-high 18 tackles, as well as his first career pass defense.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – vs. Tampa Bay (7-8) – FOX
Marcus Harris – CB, Tennessee (3-12, No. 14 AFC, 4th AFC South): Harris made his fifth consecutive start and recorded one tackle before missing the remainder of the game with an injury that will also cause him to miss the final two games of the season in a 26-9 Week 16 home win over Kansas City. In the previous game, he had a career-high seven tackles, his first career tackle for loss and one pass defense in a 37-24 Week 15 road loss at San Francisco. Harris has played in 14 of 15 games overall with five starts in 2025 and contributed 28 tackles, one tackle for loss, five pass defenses, one forced fumble and one blocked extra-point recovery.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – vs. New Orleans (5-10) – CBS
Jaylinn Hawkins – S, New England (12-3, No. 2 AFC, 1st AFC East): Hawkins had seven tackles, one quarterback hit and one forced fumble that was recovered by fellow Cal and current Patriots’ teammate Craig Woodson that led to a New England touchdown in a 28-24 Week 16 road win at Baltimore that kept their lead over Buffalo for the top spot in the AFC East at a single game. Hawkins has played 13 of 15 possible games in 2025, while playing every defensive snap 10 times including each of the last five. He has contributed 69 tackles, two interceptions that he has returned one yard, 1.5 sacks (-9 yards), three tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, four pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His 2025 season has also included a one-handed interception in a 32-13 Week 8 home win against Cleveland that went viral and was called among the best interceptions in NFL history.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – at New York Jets (3-12) – FOX
Elijah Hicks – S, Chicago (11-4, No. 2 NFC, 1st NFC North): Hicks contributed two special teams tackles in a 22-16 Week 16 home win over Green Bay to move within one win or one Green Bay loss of clinching the NFC North title. Hicks has contributed 17 tackles in 2025 while playing in all 15 games off the bench and primarily on special teams. Over his first three-plus NFL campaigns all with Chicago,
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 5:20 pm – at San Francisco (11-4) – NBC
Cameron Jordan – DE, New Orleans (5-10, No. 13 NFC, 4th NFC South): Jordan had a huge game in a 29-6 Week 16 home win over the New York Jets with a season-high-tying four tackles and 2.0 sacks (-10 yards), a season-high three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits as the Saints won for the fourth time in their last six games after a 1-8 start. Jordan’s previous signature game in 2025 came in a 21-17 Week 13 loss at Miami when he also had a season-high-tying four tackles and 2.0 sacks (-12 yards), two tackles for loss and a season-high three quarterback hits. Jordan has started each of the first 15 games of the 2025 season, his 15th in the NFL all with New Orleans, and compiled 38 tackles, team highs of 8.5 sacks (60.5 yards) and 12 tackles for loss, as well as 11 quarterback hits, two pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – at Tennessee (3-12) – CBS
Patrick Mekari – OL, Jacksonville (11-4, No. 3 AFC, 1st AFC South): Mekari made his 14th start of the 2025 season (all at right guard) and played 19 snaps before being removed due to injury and not returning in a 34-20 Week 16 win over the AFC’s top-seeded Denver that ended the Broncos’ 11-game win streak that was the longest win streak in the NFL in 2025. Mekari has taken every offensive snap eight times in 2025 and 89% or more on 12 occasions.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – at Indianapolis (8-7) – FOX
Nikko Remigio – WR/RET, Kansas City (6-9, No. 10 AFC, 3rd AFC West): Remigio equaled a season-high with 126 combined yards on a career-high-tying four kick returns for 95 yards and two punt returns for 31 yards in a 26-9 Week 16 loss at Tennessee, while Remigio also took four snaps at wide receiver against the Titans. Remigio has played in a career-high 14 of 15 games all off the bench in 2025 and leads the Chiefs with a career-high 964 combined yards, while also pacing the club in both kickoff (29-741, 25.6 ypr) and punt (25-191, 7.6 ypr) returns with his 25 punt returns fifth in the NFL. He has also added one reception for 21 yards and one rush for 11 yards.
Aaron Rodgers – QB, Pittsburgh (9-6, No. 4 AFC, 1st AFC North): Rodgers continued his late-season surge by going 27-of-41 for 266 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in a key 29-24 Week 16 win at Detroit that coupled with a Baltimore home loss to New England moved the Steelers two games ahead of the Ravens on top of the AFC North and within one victory of clinching both the division title and a playoff spot. Rodgers has started and played in 14 of 16 games in 2026 and completed 275-of-412 (66.7%) passes for 2860 yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a 98.2 rating, with his completion percentage and rating his highest since posting marks of 68.9 and 111.9 in 2021 when he earned his fourth and most recent Associated Press MVP honor while still with Green Bay. In his Steelers’ debut in Week 1, Rodgers led Pittsburgh to a 34-32 comeback road win on the road at his other former team, the New York Jets, by completing 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards with a season-high-tying four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 136.7 rating that was his best in a game since the 2022 campaign. He also threw four touchdown passes in a 33-31 Week 7 loss at Cincinnati, and completed 23-of-27 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.9 rating in a 28-15 Week 15 home victory over Miami, with his 85.2 completion percentage against the Dolphins the second-best of his career in a starting role.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 10 am – at Cleveland (3-12) – CBS
Jake Tonges, TE, San Francisco (11-4, No. 5 NFC, 2nd-T NFC West): Tonges had one reception for seven yards, made two tackles and added a fumble recovery on a kickoff return that set up a touchdown in a 48-27 Week 16 win at Indianapolis on Monday Night Football. The victory helped the 49ers maintain control of their own destiny for the top playoff spot in the NFC and at least a share of the NFC West crown, both of which they can clinch with victories in each of their final two games at home against Chicago and Seattle. Tonges, who received extensive action when starting tight end George Kittle missed five of the first eight contests, has played in 15 games including his lone career start in 2025 and contributed all of his career offensive stats with 27 receptions for 233 yards receiving and four touchdown catches, as well as a career-high five tackles and his lone career fumble recovery. His 2025 season has had several highlights, including a heroic performance in a 17-13 Week 1 victory at Seattle when he made a game-winning acrobatic four-yard touchdown catch in the end zone on the 49ers’ final drive, his first career start and six catches for a career-high-tying 58 yards receiving in a 16-15 Week 3 win over Arizona, a career-high seven receptions for 41 yards including a six-yard touchdown catch for the game’s opening score in a 26-23 Week 5 overtime win at the Los Angeles Rams, six receptions for a career-high-tying 58 yards receiving in a 30-19 Week 6 loss at Tampa Bay, and a 2-yard touchdown catch in a 26-15 Week 8 loss at Houston.
Week 17 – Sun., Dec. 28, 5:20 pm – vs. Chicago (11-4) – NBC
Nohl Williams – CB, Kansas City (6-9, No. 10 AFC, 3rd AFC West): Williams made his third career start and second in a row, contributing two tackles in a 26-9 Week 16 road loss at Tennessee. Williams has played in each of the first 15 games of his 2025 NFL rookie season with three starts and registered 34 tackles and five pass defenses.
Week 17 – Thu., Dec. 25, 5:15 pm – vs. Denver (12-3) – Prime Video
Craig Woodson – S, New England (12-3, No. 2 AFC, 1st AFC East): Woodson had four tackles and one fumble recovery on a fumble that was forced by fellow Cal and current Patriots’ teammate Jaylinn Hawkins and led to a New England touchdown in a 28-24 Week 16 road win at Baltimore that kept the Patriots lead over Buffalo for the top spot in the AFC East at a single game. Woodson has played in each of the first 15 games with 13 starts as a 2025 NFL rookie, totaling 74 tackles that rank second on the team, four tackles for loss, three pass defenses and a team-high two fumble recoveries.
INJURED RESERVE (2)
Teddye Buchanan – LB, Baltimore (7-8, No. 9 AFC, 2nd AFC North)
Daniel Scott – S, Indianapolis (8-7, No. 8 AFC, 3rd AFC South)
PRACTICE SQUAD (1)
Jackson Sirmon, OLB, New York Jets (3-12, No. 13 AFC, 4th AFC East)
COACHES (4)
Austin Clark – Defensive Line Coach, Miami (6-9, No. 11 AFC, 3rd AFC East)
Matt Giordano – Assistant Defensive Backs And Safeties, Chicago (11-4, No. 2 NFC, 1st NFC North)
Bryon Storer – Assistant Special Teams Coach, Green Bay (9-5-1, No. 7 NFC, 2nd NFC North)
Davis Webb – Quarterbacks Coach, Denver (12-3, No. 1 AFC, 1st AFC West)